Speak Out February 2021 DIGITAL EDITION

FAQs

universally applied within the profession. However, any activity which could be defined as complex or advanced, but is still within scope of a speech pathology role, should still be delivered in alignment with the Professional Standards. Any activity that is considered to be extended scope of practice should be delivered with consideration of the specific requirements of that activity and also aligned with the Professional Standards as appropriate. It is the role of workplace organisations to define advanced and extended practice in speech pathology relevant to their workplace, and to determine and monitor the credentialing of professionals to undertake practices that are considered additional to or beyond minimum standards. Members can view the Credentialling Position Statement for more information. Are the expectations changing for graduating students and university programs? The CBOS will continue to be the reference for entry level competency for graduating students until at least the end of 2021. This is because the Professional Standards do not include entry level measures of competency. This means that any speech pathology graduands of an accredited university in Australia will be eligible for certified practising membership of Speech Pathology Australia until otherwise advised. Speech Pathology Australia will ensure that universities and students are provided with appropriate notice and advice regarding any transition plans to new expectations or requirements. When graduands commence work, their practice will need to align with the Professional Standards (SPA, 2020), as relevant to their context and role, from 1 January 2021. New resources which detail the evidence required to demonstrate that future graduating students meet the Professional Standards will be developed as part of a strategic project titled ‘Activity 1: Implementation of the Professional Standards for Universities.’ This project is due for completion by early 2022. In the meantime, Speech Pathology Australia will continue to evaluate university programs using the current accreditation standards which include evaluation of student competency against the CBOS, until the new resources

are available, and a transitional period is observed. Speech Pathology Australia accreditors will be thoroughly conversant with the new Professional Standards and will play an integral role during the transition to university programs being accredited against the new Professional Standards. Can we still use COMPASS® to assess students on placement? COMPASS® is a validated and standardised tool for assessment of student competency development within the workplace, so universities may choose to continue to use COMPASS® for assessing students during placement. Therefore, clinical educators should continue to assess students as they have done until now, using the COMPASS® or other university-prescribed tool to assess student competency until advised otherwise, by the relevant university.

Will COMPASS® be updated to include the Professional Standards? COMPASS® is a validated and standardised assessment tool. It can stand-alone. So, while COMPASS® and CBOS have similarities in terminology and framework, COMPASS® can function independently of the CBOS. SPA has no imminent plans to design a new tool for assessing competency development during workplace placements that will align directly with the Professional Standards. There is, however, a SPA funded project underway to design Professional Standards implementation requirements related to university accreditation. This project will determine the timelines for any curricula or placement modifications that might be

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February 2021 | Speak Out